Palmira members unite to save their golf club

BONITA SPRINGS - The fight continues to get the Palmira Golf and Country Club back open.

Last week, the community's developer, the Ronto Group, suddenly closed the club in Bonita Springs, citing financial problems.

Members have formed their own company, Palmira Golf & Country Club Inc., to "get the course back in operation as soon as possible, both for membership enjoyment and to prevent a costly repair effort if the course is left unmaintained too long," according to savepalmira.com.

The Web site went up last week to keep members up to date on happenings with the club.

The community is off Bonita Beach Road, east of Interstate 75.

Friday, more than 400 members packed the clubhouse for a meeting to discuss the community's future after Ronto said it could no longer cover the operating losses.

"I was surprised at how many people were there," said resident Ron Saul, who has a social membership in the club and attended last week's meeting.

Details of the takeover are still being worked out. Progress has been made on developing a budget and operating plan, and most services could be maintained, according to a letter to homeowners posted on the Web site Monday.

But some cutbacks will be necessary during the transition, including keeping the restaurants and dining areas closed.

"Discussions have been held with key employees who are critical to continued operations, and a number of members have committed to act in oversight roles as we move forward," the letter to homeowners said. "We hope to reopen as soon as it is lawful, responsible and practical."

Golf and sports members may have to kick in anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to get the country club going again, Saul said.

The plan is for Palmira to become an equity club. "The club will return to semi-private status to bring additional revenue," according to a Web post.

Eventually, members also hope to reopen their lifestyle club, the Renaissance Center, which includes the community's fitness center, pool and spa. The plan is for the Master Homeowner Association to take it over. Every resident could pay $500 a year to support it, according to the Web site.

Ronto has spent membership deposits and they "no longer exist," postings say. Members still paying their initiation fees have been urged to stop immediately.

Bonita Springs resident Joyce Dembicki, who put down a deposit for a social membership and then changed her mind, wonders whether she'll get her $3,500 back.

"I really don't think I'm going to get any kind of satisfaction with what I'm owed back," she said. "I hope to."

But she feels worse for those who actually live in the community and have a lot more invested in golf memberships.

"It's really a shame," said Dembicki, 65, who lives in Spanish Wells in Bonita Springs.

An adhoc committee has formed to lead the effort to reopen the golf club. The committee chairman, Pete Corio, could not be reached for this story.

"To sum it up, we are all concerned and angry at what has occurred. We also believe that Palmira is a great community that will survive this crisis, and emerge stronger and more responsive to all its members and residents," the committee said in its letter to homeowners Monday.

A national law firm has been hired to represent members on legal concerns.

The plans that have been developed for reopening the golf club seem good, Saul said, but they are still evolving.

"They have not put this out in writing," he said. "They are still investigating the legalities of whether this can be done. Everything is very tentative," Saul said.

As Palmira members work to reopen their golf course, rumors are flying about other private clubs closing around town including Vasari in North Naples and West Bay Club in Estero.

Both of those golf courses remained open Monday and they plan to stay that way.

"We're still good to go," said Chris Evans, one of Vasari's golf pros.

He's had a few calls asking if the golf course is still open. It's a bundled golf community, meaning that its 766 residents all bought into the club.

"It's a sold-out community," Evans said. "So we are not operating on a deficit."